Drive or Fly: Port Saint Lucie, FL to Palm Bay, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for VRB–MLB. At 62 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 15m

Distance

62.5 mi

Total Cost

$49

CO2

25 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$14

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 54m

6m in the air

Air Distance

53 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

14 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Port Saint Lucie, FL → VRB 38m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MLB → Palm Bay, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Port Saint Lucie, FL VRB — Vero Beach Regional Airport 25 mi, ~38m drive

Palm Bay, FL MLB — Melbourne Orlando International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between VRB and MLB. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

7h 16m

4h 33m on rail

Total Cost

$16

CO2

5 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Port Saint Lucie, FL → Okeechobee Amtrak 44m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 273m

Arrival 10m

Kissimmee Amtrak Station → Palm Bay, FL 79m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Okeechobee Amtrak 30 mi, ~44m drive

To Kissimmee Amtrak Station 53 mi, ~79m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 13m

1h 20m on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

FlixBus N2401

Door-to-Door Timeline

Port Saint Lucie, FL → Port St Lucie (Park & Ride) (PSL6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 80m

Arrival 10m

Melbourne (RaceTrac) (MBN6) → Palm Bay, FL 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From PSL6 — Port St Lucie (Park & Ride) 5 mi, ~10m drive

To MBN6 — Melbourne (RaceTrac) 12 mi, ~18m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 15m	2h 54m	7h 16m	2h 13m
Total cost (1 person)	$49	$122	$16	$7
Carbon footprint	25 kg CO₂	14 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Port Saint Lucie, FL to Palm Bay, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.